Brandwave

How popular isSkyward?

In September 2026, people searched for Skyward by name about 2.9 million times worldwide, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 47.5% of all global school administration software searches, placing Skyward first out of six brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about school administration software, Skyward appeared in three of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Skyward is the most searched of 6 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. SkywardShare of searches 47.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. PowerSchoolShare of searches 44.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  3. SycamoreShare of searches 3.3%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. GradelinkShare of searches 2.2%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. VeracrossShare of searches 2.2%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th

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Top school administration software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Skyward was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Skyward is the second most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. PowerSchool1st
  2. Skyward2nd
  3. Gradelink3rd
  4. Veracross4th
  5. Blackbaud Grantmaking5th
  6. Sycamore–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • PowerSchool4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Skyward3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Gradelink3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Veracross1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Blackbaud Grantmaking1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Sycamore0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about school administration software

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Which school administration software compete with Skyward?

Skyward against school administration software worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Skyward, PowerSchool, Sycamore, Gradelink, Veracross. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSkywardPowerSchoolSycamoreGradelinkVeracrossBlackbaud Grantmaking
Oct 202559.4%30.9%5.1%2.8%1.9%<0.01%
Nov 202549.9%38.9%6.4%2.9%1.9%<0.01%
Dec 202554.3%34.5%6.9%2.6%1.7%<0.01%
Jan 202655.1%35.4%4.7%2.6%2.1%<0.01%
Feb 202654.5%34.6%5.7%3.1%2.1%<0.01%
Mar 202650.2%38.7%6.4%2.8%1.9%<0.01%
Apr 202654.8%34.8%5.7%2.6%2.1%<0.01%
May 202655.8%35.2%4.7%2.6%1.7%<0.01%
Jun 202641%47%7.8%1.9%2.3%<0.01%
Jul 202651.9%40%5.4%0.72%2%<0.01%
Aug 202658%36.6%2.7%0.99%1.8%<0.01%
Sep 202647.5%44.8%3.3%2.2%2.2%<0.01%

  1. 1.Skyward

    47.5%

    Held 1st. 2.9M estimated branded searches, -33% vs prior month. Share -10.4 points.

  2. 2.PowerSchool

    44.8%

    Held 2nd. 2.7M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +8.2 points.

  3. 3.Sycamore

    3.3%

    Held 3rd. 201K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  4. 4.Gradelink

    2.2%

    Moved from 5th to 4th. 135K estimated branded searches, +82.4% vs prior month. Share +1.2 points.

  5. 5.Veracross

    2.2%

    Moved from 4th to 5th. 135K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  6. 6.Blackbaud Grantmaking

    <0.01%

    Held 6th. 170 estimated branded searches, -19% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Skyward and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Skyward

5 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Skyward changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Skyward worldwide held steady at 2.9M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Skyward’s share of searches among school administration software worldwide decreased from 59.4% to 47.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Skyward’s share of searches among school administration software worldwide peaked at 59.4% in October 2025 and was lowest at 41% in June 2026.

How did search popularity change for school administration software worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Gradelink overtook Veracross to rank 4th among school administration software worldwide, with 2.2% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, PowerSchool gained share of searches among school administration software worldwide, from 36.6% to 44.8%.

  3. In September 2026, Sycamore gained share of searches among school administration software worldwide, from 2.7% to 3.3%.

  4. In September 2026, Skyward lost share of searches among school administration software worldwide, from 58% to 47.5%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Veracross worldwide rose 49.2% over 12 measured months, from 90.5K to 135K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Blackbaud Grantmaking worldwide fell 46.9% over 12 measured months, from 320 to 170 in September 2026.

How are Skyward’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Skyward’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • skyward family access
  • skyward sis

Do you work for Skyward? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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